Reputable vs. Non Reputable, Red Flags and Catch Phrases
First and foremost, we would like to say that vom Haus am Lerchenweg is here for the breed. We are not in competition with any other breeder, local or World wide. We are here to improve the breed and our program. If you are looking to inquire about how our program is different or compares to others, we can only speak for ourselves and what our dogs have done or what we have done in our journey. We will not discuss any other breeders, however, we are happy to help you find the best family member even if it is not from us. There are excellent breeders that we work with all around the globe. We will remind you to do your homework, making sure that your breeder has in fact done the health and temperament/breeding tests they claim instead of just saying that they have.
Thomas’ accomplishments speak for themselves. He has been breeding for 30+ years, has mentored under some of the best breeders in Germany. He has trained and titled over 70 dogs in Schutzhund/IPO now IGP. We are fortunate that he has brought his knowledge to us, in the United States. He has most recently produced from his own breeding by 3 generations a VA female, she was also V14 at the German Sieger Show, which is unheard of for an American bred dog. She was the highest placed female born in the USA at the German Sieger Show that year. The following year she was named the highest placing American bred female in USA, another amazing recognition.
Thomas has accomplished things that no other breeder in Idaho as well as the entire Pacific Northwest has done. He has dogs working real world jobs, on the police force, certified SAR dogs, Registered Medical Assist dogs, as well as many currently and previously in the sport of Schutzhund/IPO and now IGP, and just as many on families couches around the world. All of these come from the same working pedigrees.
We work very closely with several breeders in Germany and strictly follow the SV Guidelines when it comes to our breeding. We are happy to answer any questions you may have and help you find your newest family member, whether they come from us, or we help educate you to find the correct breeder for your needs. When we say we are in it for the breed, we mean it. Our job is to find you the perfect family member, no matter where it comes from. If you are local, we will help you with training, if you are not, we will do everything in our power to help you through the growing pains of a new puppy, even if that means flying out to wherever you are.
Our puppies can be purchased, starting at $2800 and can be reserved with a $500 administrative fee. It is highly recommended that you reserve your puppy early, as we have a very large ongoing waiting list and the puppies are usually sold prior to birth, often before the breeding even happens. We also offer a basic puppy training program, includes crate training, teaching the puppy their name, to walk on a leash, sit and lay down for an addition fee.
Resources Used: www.gsdca.org; www.akc.org
Conscientious/Ethical Breeders
Strive in each and every breeding to achieve the highest quality possible relative to the breed standard for health, conformation, trainability and temperament, in order to maintain our breed's characteristics. Many conscientious Breeders plan every breeding around progeny that they would want in their breeding program. Each breeding takes much thought, planning, research and careful calculation to ensure the correctness of the breed. Even if that means flying your dog to Germany.
Use only physically sound, mature dogs of stable temperament for breeding. The dogs should be Titled or Certified, in some form, Herding, Schutzhund/IPO/IGP, an active, sworn in Search and Rescue K9, or Police K9. This is very important to maintain the stability, soundness and purpose of the German Shepherd dog as a Working Dog. As Max von Stephanitz said, the founder of the German Shepherd, “Breeding should never be made with animals that are not in work. The proof of the education of the dog for work is a necessity for admission for breeding, rather than Show honors, which afford a very misleading idea of a dog’s value for breeding.” Your dog can be beautiful, but if it cannot work, its worth is limited. It is with the upmost regard of the breed as a whole, to ensure the stability of the dog. Such a powerful statement….. I will say it again. “Breeding should never be made with animals that are not in work. The proof of the education of the dog for work is a necessity for admission for breeding, rather than Show honors, which afford a very misleading idea of a dog’s value for breeding.”
Continue to educate themselves regarding genetic diseases pertinent to the German Shepherd. Documentation of all health screening should be available to prospective puppy buyers.
Match each puppy's personality as carefully as possible with a compatible family.
Take appropriate steps to have each puppy examined by a licensed veterinarian for general health prior to placement. Each puppy should be vaccinated and de-wormed prior to going to their new homes, as well as tattooed or Micro-chipped.
Educate the buyers to the importance of waiting to spay/neuter. Methods should include written spay/neuter contracts, limited registration.
Endeavor to gain personal knowledge of the temperament and health of every dog they breed, or to which they breed, in order to gather information on which to base future breeding decisions. They share this information fully and honestly with other breeders and with prospective buyers. Only by working together can we improve the breed.
They should at any time accept the return of any dog their breeding program produces and they should always help when relocation is needed as well as any and all training needs to ensure the successful life of the German Shepherd.
The breeder should respect and manage the angles of the German Shepherd, not over angulation, or under angulation. The German Shepherd was made as a moving fence in herding to travel hundreds of miles a day. In the wars, they had to walk many many miles, without these angles, the German Shepherd would not be able to accomplish this.
Encourage puppy buyers to go to obedience training to help their puppies to become better family members and good citizens.
Often have a waiting list for their puppies.
Unethical or what can be referred to as Back Yard Breeders, some “Red Flags” or “catch phrases” to watch for
The "breeder" lacks knowledge about the breed and the Breed Standard, unable to spell German Shepherd. Refers the the German Shepherd as a straight back or a sloped back.
The "breeder" shows ignorance or denial of genetic defects in the breed. Hips and Elbows, Spondylosis, DM, Pituitary Dwarfism, Allergies.
Any of these issues should be removed from a breeding program immediately. Never is there to be an exception for any of this. Not only can they be passed down to their puppies, but to breed a dog with one of these health issues can cause massive, painful damage to the female or male that is being bred can end with the loss of life. Being bred is not easy on the dogs its actually a hard life for them. The male, they become very stressed in breeding times, especially if they cannot be bred. They go off their food, they loose weight, they pace, become anxious all compromising the immune system. Females obviously have to carry, feed and care for the pups, all putting stress on the immune system. The breeding dog MUST be a priority to the “breeder” and there is never an excuse to ignore these issues. When excuses are made regarding health, we are not improving, we are making money. *This is a very important piece to finding a reputable breeder* Combined with… stating you have hip and elbow certifications when you do not. You need to ask for proof and see the certifications. Even if in another language. So many just in our Valley, say that they have these certifications when the in fact do not.* Look for signs of Allergies, listen to your gut when a dog has clear signs of an issue. Hair loss on ears, red feet from being chewed on, dirty living conditions, limping, dogs not being in pristine conditions at all times. Remember that if you support these people because you feel sorry for the dogs, it only encourages this behavior and they breed more, buying more dogs.
The "breeder" has no involvement in dog sports.
A lot of “breeders” state that their dogs are in training, or they are capable of the work, the progeny is capable of the work, they want to make sure the female can produce puppies first. That their parents did the work therefore these dogs can work. That the dogs are Personal Protection Dogs. Do not let them fool you. Anyone that truly cares for the breed will find a way to make sure they are active in the sport to maintain the breed for what it was meant, foremost, a working dog. Educate yourself in the parent clubs for what your breed should do. See what local clubs, training groups are available. There are plenty of options for people who want to improve their program and continue the temperament of which the German Shepherd was bred. Herding, Schutzhund, SAR, Trailing, So many options. Anyone determined can and will do anything in the name of what they love. The reason the German Shepherd is so versatile, is because of the training of its ancestors. These are the dogs that should be used for breeding. Because they have proven the temperament, the agility, the courage, the intelligence to give you the best family dog you can have. This is how we can guarantee their stability.
The “breeder” is quick to speak poorly of Conscientious Breeders or Reputable breeders. This is not a selling point, this is a red flag. If you have to put down a breeder to make yourself look better, there is an issue.
Many “breeders” would rather talk poorly about reputable breeders. Instead of speaking to their accomplishments, they speak in competition, this is not professional. This is a poor attempt to raise themselves above. Any reputable breeder will speak to what they have done, they will show you dogs and their accomplishments from their own breeding. They will tell you to do your research on breeders, to do your homework, but will not speak negatively about them.
They will also tell you that if you buy a dog from them they will help you, mentor you, however, if you mention speaking to another breeder, they will no longer be available to assist you. They are only interested in helping those who purchase from them. Any “Breeder” who is a TRUE advocate for the breed, will not care where your dog came from, they will do everything they can to help you with your newest family member be successful. This is a journey for the breed, you as the owner, not for the breeder. Seeing the German Shepherd succeed should be any advocates goal.
The “breeder” calls genetic faults, unique, special, or rare, using them as selling points.
There is nothing unique about genetic faults. There is a reason that they are labeled faults, it is not for someone to make more money. This should NEVER be a selling point. Liver, blue, white, these are all faults. There is no such thing as a Panda Shepherd, a King Shepherd, or a Shiloh Shepherd. These are all things that people have made to be unique, looking for something make money off of. Especially Dwarfism, this is a horrifying issue in the German Shepherd and should never be exploited.
When breeders use phrases such as “straight back”, “sloped back” or “Old Style German Shepherd”, they are also exploiting a term or a thought, an impression, giving a false representation of the breed. The German Shepherd is meant to have angles in areas. Their back is made up of the wither, the back, loin and the croup and is influenced by the upper arm and thigh, this is why it is called a “top line” vs a back as there are many components, the “back” is a very small section of the whole picture. The wither, which is the highest point of the shoulder, this is influenced by the length and angle of the upper arm of the dog. If the dog has a long or more angulated upper arm, the dog will have a higher wither, which makes the “back” look tall at the shoulder, or if it is less angulated or shorter it will give the appearance of a flat wither. Then there is the back. Then down below the hips or loin area, you will find the croup. The angle and the length of the croup also has a factor in the appearance of the back, you can have a nice long croup, or a short steep croup, a well laid croup. A German Shepherd with significant angulation you will also see comes from a long thigh, this is not the back. There are many factors that give the impression of a look. The German Shepherd is supposed to have angles that make the movement of the German Shepherd effortless due to the amount of ground they have to cover and all of these, upper arm, wither, back, croup, thigh they all play an active part in the effortless movement of the overall German Shepherd. Now… if the dog has too much angulation, the dog will not be able to jump, to run, to climb, to apprehend a bad guy. You will often see this in an American Shepherd. The working lines or DDR, you tend to see less angulation, however, with that also comes a price, the price of ease movement, it is more difficult for them to cover the ground therefore they tire easily, they are sore, they pull more muscles. They tend to however, have shorter croups and often do not have a high wither. But at the end of the day, it is better to have less than more when it comes to angulation.
How to read those ads. A few more things to look out for.
"Champion lines" - "Champion Lines" means there is one dog somewhere in that puppy's family that was a champion - it says nothing about the quality of the parents at all. Anyone can buy a puppy from champion lines, but it does not mean that they are breeding quality, or have any interest in the breed but to ride the coat tails of others accomplishments and make money, giving them in their mind the opportunity to charge more for this or that. The puppy may have been sold as a pet and an unethical person is breeding them to have puppies.
"AKC Registration" or "AKC Papers" - So what? AKC registration does not guarantee quality. AKC papers are much like the title of a car; papers are issued to the junked Chevy on blocks in your yard just as easily as they are on a brand new, shiny Jaguar. AKC does not control breeding, approve litters, or guarantee temperaments. Unfortunately, in the hands of some people, it doesn't even guarantee that the dog is purebred, they only require DNA to be done on dogs if they have been bred more than 6 times in one year or if the dog is imported, but not the litters nor to prove parentage. AKC Registration is automatic if you buy from a reputable breeder - they will provide all necessary paperwork, DNA is processed, when you buy a puppy. It is not a selling point, and should not be treated as one. AKC is a registry, they do not protect the breeders, or the buyers. They do not guarantee anything.
"Extra-Big", "Extra-Small" - breeders trying for extremes are rarely raising healthy dogs, and any ad that has to stress the size and weight of the dog to sell the puppies is suspect. Usually, these dogs are outside of the breed's standard and are subject to their own health problems due to excessive size or lack of it. Same goes for a person looking to buy a Oversized German Shepherd, this person is uneducated. The 110 pound German Shepherd should not be desirable.
"Rare or Unique" - Why? Are there too many defects for the animal to be bred? What kind of problems does this "rare" color or size entail? Medical? Behavioral? Stay away from anyone suggesting rare and unique.
"See Both Parents" - This is not always a good thing. (except with COVID we are finding it harder to get to other dogs, though we are making it happen.) Rarely will a good breeder have the luck to own both dogs for the perfect litter, though it can happen, dogs will stand at stud at your place for awhile to cover your females then they will go back to their home or on to the next stud station. Also, to have both parents on site would be to have the male bred to multiple females to see what their production is. If you can see both parents, that is awesome, however watch out for the breeder who is always breeding the same pair, over and over, heat cycle after heat cycle without breaks, NOT using outside males. This usually means that they bred to a dog of convenience as they already own them both. The “Breeder” that uses their male numerous times with the same female, or all their females numerous times, is producing, not selecting. They are absolutely not improving the breed. Breeding is Selecting. It is taking the best dog for your female, even if that means flying the dog to another state, to give families healthy, happy, excellent temperament, family members. This is one of the most common, unethical, “Back Yard Breeder”, Red Flags we see in Idaho, using the same male to female pairs over and over and over.
Most Breeders will not own both dogs. In some cases dogs are flown to other Countries, States, to find the ideal male for the female. It is taking the best dog available to give families healthy, happy, excellent temperament family members. Sometimes males will be purchased but you will find that male is not used over and over by the same female. In fact, you likely will not see a repeat breeding at all.
you will see a breeder that has a very nice stud male on their property, they have used them and do use them, but they also go out and breed to other dogs. You will not see “repeat breedings” Most Reputable breeders understand the genetics enough to know that repeat breedings do not produce anything better the second time.
There are some good and very reasonable reasons to have both parents on site. However, you need to ask the right questions and understand why this is true. If the breeder doesn't have an answer, you need to evaluate whether this breeder is doing the right thing. They might be, but, they might not. It is an extremely important question.
"Must go now! Puppies at Reduced Cost! Christmas Puppies! Two for One" - This is a run the other way flag quickly…. Do not even get out of your car.
Why? Are they too big to be cute anymore? Need the money? Is there a problem? Usually because there are more on the way. Puppies reduced cost. Christmas Puppies? No reputable breeder wants their puppies under a Christmas Tree. They are a 12-14 year commitment, not a “surprise” Typically a reputable breeder will have a large waiting list prior to the breeding even happening. It is very normal for a reputable breeder to have a full waiting list. Be very wary of this ploy. Also, for them to keep a puppy that hasn’t sold, and train it is much more effective and responsible for the puppy than reducing the cost. It ensures the puppy gets a good home, proper training and good socialization.
Being a responsible breeder is no easy task. But it is so important to the future of the German Shepherd, it should not be taken lightly.